Other relevant skills

As you continue to progress in your cloud computing journey, it will become increasingly important to acquire specialised skills that can set you apart in the field. In this step, we will explore some of these specialised skills.

Learn about web services and APIs

In today’s tech landscape, major companies employ systems and services that offer application programming interfaces (APIs). These APIs serve as programming interfaces that enable developers to utilise a company’s services without requiring access to their underlying code.

For instance, imagine you’re developing software and wish to enable customers to make payments on your website. Instead of building your own payment processing system, you can leverage third-party services that provide a public API and documentation on how to use it. You’ll register an account, gain access to the API, and pay for its usage, ultimately integrating their service seamlessly into your own.

Learn about serverless

A modern approach to web application development is the concept of serverless web applications. Contrary to the name, ‘serverless’ doesn’t mean there are no servers involved; rather, it signifies that developers no longer need to manage or configure servers themselves — the cloud vendor takes care of these aspects.

You’ll provide a piece of code to the cloud vendor, instructing them to execute it using a specific language like Python. The cloud vendor assumes responsibility for tasks such as server provisioning, code execution, server maintenance, and scaling to accommodate increased demand. Your role primarily involves making API calls to access the functions or services you require. The same idea applies to databases and other technologies where you don’t manage them yourself, but your cloud vendor does and offers them to you as a service.

Learn about DevOps tools

In the current software landscape, applications have become more complex than ever before. DevOps, a combination of tools and methodologies, assists software teams in the development, testing, deployment, and monitoring of their applications.

The cloud ecosystem offers a plethora of services designed to support DevOps practices. While becoming an expert in DevOps may require dedicated focus, having a foundational understanding of DevOps tools and practices is a valuable first step. In fact, there are now dedicated DevOps professionals who specialise in this area, although I argue everyone involved with software construction to familiarise themselves with such methodologies and tools.

Machine learning

Machine learning (ML) has emerged as a transformative technology, revolutionising various industries. Although true machine learning is still a distant goal, current ML systems and frameworks hold immense promise in solving numerous real-world problems.

Building a basic understanding of these ML tools and exploring the ML services offered by cloud platforms can open doors to job opportunities that require ML expertise. ML is a rapidly evolving field, and staying informed about its developments can greatly enhance your relevance in the cloud computing industry.

By honing these specialised skills, you’ll not only keep pace with the ever-evolving cloud landscape but also position yourself as a more accomplished and competitive cloud computing professional.

In the next step you will have the opportunity to test your understanding so far.